Wonder Woman #792 – Becky Cloonan/Michael W. Conrad, Jordie Bellaire, Writers; Marguerite Sauvage, Paulina Ganucheau, Artists; Kendall Goode, Colorist
Ray – 9/10
Ray: The addition of Marguerite Sauvage on this title seems to have kicked things up a notch, as this arc is the best the title has been since Diana returned to Earth. While Hera luxuriates back on Olympus and pulls the strings from afar, Diana deals with the fallout of her plot deep in Brazil. The flower extract that powered Dr. Psycho’s “milk” is also at the core of the mysterious factory that’s experimenting on animals—including one cheetah who isn’t a cheetah at all. Barbara Minerva seems to have been reverted back to a feral form by her treatment, and Diana finds herself in the tricky position of trying to get her frenemy to reclaim her mind while also fending off one assault after another from the guards.
Sauvage’s art is gorgeous, particularly in the chaotic escape segments as Diana and an army of animals make their run from the creepy factory towards the end of the main story. But good art isn’t enough to carry a story, so I was pleasantly surprised to find this issue also had some of the most powerful emotional scenes of the run so far. The unique bond between Diana and Barbara Minerva has always been key to this hero-villain relationship, and the end of the issue indicates that Diana’s friendship may be able to pull Barbara back from the brink. Villain reformation arcs rarely reform, but watching these two take the first to Hera is going to be highly entertaining to watch.
The backup, The Adventures of Young Diana, has taken a dramatic story as Diana finds herself possessed by a mysterious cosmic force. As Hippolyta and Antiope watch helplessly, the goddess entering Diana’s form breaks the laws of physics, nearly accidentally kills the two older Amazons, and pushes the young girl to her limit before it departs—leaving far more questions than it answers. It’s a strange segment, and not helped by the limited page count, but the art is brilliant throughout.
To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week.
GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
